OAKLAND
A Maine State Police sergeant arrested Monday on charges of aggravated domestic assault is on paid administrative leave.
Mark Sawyer, 43, of Sparkling Lake Lane, was arrested at 6:30 p.m. Monday after police received a call about 5 p.m. of an alleged assault, police Capt. Rick Stubbert said Thursday.
Sawyer was booked at 7:30 p.m. and bailed from the Police Department on $500 cash bond, Stubbert said.
"The case is still under investigation; there's a lot of stuff we're still following up on," he said.
Stubbert said he could not release details of the case while it is being investigated. He said four officers went to Sawyer's home Monday where he was arrested. Sawyer was cooperative, he said.
Aggravated assault is a Class B felony. Stubbert said no weapons were involved.
"The 'aggravated' part comes into play as far as the victim's injuries," he said.
He said he could not reveal information about those injuries.
Stubbert said information is not being withheld because Sawyer is a law enforcement officer; Oakland police are doing exactly what they would with anyone else arrested under such circumstances.
"That's been our biggest concern right from the beginning -- to handle it just like any other case," he said.
Stephen McCausland, spokesman for the state Department of Public Safety, said Thursday that Sawyer is a 23-year member of the state police and is a sergeant with the commercial vehicle enforcement unit.
McCausland said he could not release more information about Sawyer's case.
"He is on administrative leave with pay pending the outcome of this charge," he said.
Sawyer's attorney, Michael Turndorf of Brunswick, said his client is innocent.
"It's not a question of being innocent until proven guilty; simply put, he is innocent," Turndorf said Thursday. "The fact of his arrest is not evidence of anything other than he was arrested."
Turndorf said there is more to the story, and when the story comes out, Sawyer will not be convicted of any offense. He said the call to police about the alleged assault did not come from Sawyer's home.
"There was no call at all from the alleged victim," Turndorf said.
The standard by which police officers conduct an arrest is based on probable cause and probable cause is really the lowest standard of proof that exists, he said.
"All they need is a pointed finger to arrest someone and they don't need much more. That's not any criticism against police -- that's just a statement of fact."
Turndorf declined to identify the alleged victim, or say whether it was a family member of Sawyer's.
Kennebec County Deputy District Attorney Alan Kelley also said he could not divulge details.
"The case is still under investigation, and we don't feel comfortable revealing any other information at this point," he said.
Sawyer is scheduled to appear at a hearing in Kennebec County Superior Court in Augusta at 8:30 a.m. April 14.
"As it approaches, obviously we're going to have more and more information and at some point, it will be appropriate to discuss it," Kelley said. "But not right now."
Other Information: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008887319_appolicearrested.html
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